When talking to feedlot owners and backgrounders, one question almost always comes up: “is there anything new out there to combat mycoplasma?”
There are things being worked on, but it is not an easy fix.
Researchers have found that certain procedures, vaccines and handling animals in ways that limit stress (often easier said than done) can go a long way in reducing incidents.
When cases arise, decisions need to made early on whether to treat, ship or euthanize for the welfare of the calf.
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Mycoplasma comes in many forms but feedlots mainly see the respiratory and joint forms. The respiratory form is often indistinguishable from other common causes of pneumonia in the feedlot and the joint form can be similar to histophilus abscesses.
A great number of chronically ill animals in feedlots would play a role in the incidents of mycoplasma, if lab specimens were submitted to verify what your veterinarian had diagnosed. These cases cost the feedlot industry millions in treatment and labour costs, as well as adding to costs due to increased deaths and chronically ill animals that need to be euthanized.
With mycoplasma, we must concentrate on prevention. Treatment is limited, even though a few antibiotics have indications for mycoplasma on the label. These antibiotics are designed as metaphylactic treatments, to be used on groups of animals to ward off or minimize an expected large outbreak.
After a few weeks in a feedlot, almost all calves have been exposed and are carrying the organism, yet in well-managed yards that buy preimmunized and preconditioned calves, the incidents can be kept to a minimum.
In cattle, mycoplasma is a secondary invader, which means in the case of respiratory disease it often comes in secondary to the viral pathogens, mostly IBR.
Other respiratory bacteria such as mannheimia, pasteurella or histophilus can also become established and set the lungs up for the invasion of mycoplasma later. A good number of these infections may then spread to joints. Once in the joints, especially if more than one joint is involved, the chances of recovery are slim.
Infected animals then become welfare issues and often lots of money in antibiotics, painkillers and other medications is spent before the decision is made to euthanize.
In the bison industry, mycoplasma is almost always a primary pathogen and can cause considerable death loss in native populations of calves, cows and bulls. There appears to be immunity established once the disease goes through, but death losses can reach high levels on initial exposure.
Anything that reduces stress or reduces the likelihood of the other respiratory bugs should theoretically reduce the incidence of mycoplasma pneumonia.
As veterinarians, we always talk about reducing stress. Transportation, processing stress, weather conditions, parasites and exposure to other cattle all play a role in determining whether calves get sick.
As cow-calf producers, we can control the preimmunization.
Feedlots then can ask for preimmunized calves, which represent the vast majority in Canada.
The question then is what do we pre-immunize for? Cow-calf producers vaccinate their calves younger and reap the benefits of having fewer calves get sick on summer pasture. If the boosters are then given at weaning, we should, in theory, see less respiratory disease.
If we can avoid unnecessary transportation stress by selling directly to feedlots through satellite or online sales, cattle go directly from source to feedlot, reducing shipping. When it comes to handling animals for transportation, the distance the animals are shipped may not be as significant as reducing the number of times they are loaded and unloaded.
As well, various electrolyte formulations have been tried to minimize shrink. Too much shrink is detrimental and a sign of stress. Producers should also have parasites removed to help increase gains and boost the immune response to vaccines.
It gives feedlot owners healthier animals with less propensity to get sick. Less sickness leads to less mycoplasma.
Prevention is the absolute key when it comes to this disease. Don’t hold your breath for an industry-saving vaccine or treatment drug for mycoplasma.
Current practices appear to have death losses going down on average, and as we prevent the other respiratory pathogens, so too is the incidence of mycoplasma dropping.
With more collaboration between the cow-calf sector (first line of defence), trucker (second line of defence), backgrounder (third line of defence) or feedlot owner (last line of defence), we can all do our part.
We may not be able to totally eliminate it, but at least we can keep mycoplasma at bay by using the best prevention strategies we know.
